Emperor Shi Huang of the Qin Dynasty ended the chaotic Spring and Autumn Period and unified the continent for the first time in Chinese history in 221 BC. When his subjects sent to find the elixir of life fled, he buried them alive along with hundreds of Confucian scholars and burned Confucian books. What he feared most was aging and disease.
Aging is a phenomenon in which the structure and functions of a living organism deteriorate over time and is directly caused by cellular aging. When cells age, they lose their ability to divide and eventually die. Living organisms maintain life by periodically dividing cells to preserve their body tissues and organs. In the case of humans, the average number of cell divisions is about 50 to 60, and the cell division cycle varies depending on the tissue or organ of the body. The lifespan of skin cells is about 35 days, with existing cells dying and being replaced by new cells. Oral epithelial cells and cells in the digestive tract lining that are physically stimulated by food are faster than this.
Whenever cells divide, they replicate their genetic material, DNA. The DNA fragments at the end of chromosomes, called telomeres, become shorter during this process. When telomeres are shorter than a certain level, cells stop dividing and die, which is the aging process. In the case of cancer cells, an enzyme regenerates telomeres when they divide, so they do not age even after dividing repeatedly. In other words, cancer cells do not die on their own.
In 2004, the Yonsei University Aging Function Gene Research Center increased the average lifespan by 20% by making telomeres 30% longer than normal using laboratory animals. This experiment was published in the world-renowned scientific journal Nature Genetics. By revealing the aging mechanism, they found a clue to delaying it.
But more important than biological youth is the youth of the mind and spirit. The youth of the mind is not dull to beautiful things and maintains the delicacy of emotions. In his poem “Youth”, Samuel Ullman said, “Youth is not a period of life, but a state of mind. It is a strong will, a rich imagination, and a burning passion.” Goethe began writing “Faust” at the age of 26 and finished it at the age of 83. The British Romantic poet William Wordsworth said, “My heart races when I see a rainbow in the sky.” They showed us what the youth of the mind is. The youth of the mind is the ability to accept new things and flexibility. We should not be stubborn in our thinking and judgment but be flexible to the changes in the world. When our hearts and minds are young, like Jesus, we are young forever.
The World Youth Day (WYD) will be held in Seoul in 2027. Young people from all over the world who want to follow the teachings of Christ will gather in our country, but this event is not just for them. Not only young people but everyone who possesses the spirit and mind of youth should be the protagonist. The theme of the World Youth Day to be held in our country is “Take courage! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We should all ask Christ for courage so that we can overcome the absurdity and injustice of the world and always remain young. “Young one, I say to you, Arise” (Luke 7:14).
